Honduras Government Hires Pro-Coup Lobbyist Lanny Davis

After Defending Media Censorship and Abuses During Crisis, Ex-Clinton Official Now Working For Lobo Government

Lanny Davis (pictured right), the former Clinton White House official who was behind a lobbying blitz to support the coup d’etat that happened in Honduras in 2009 is back in action. This time instead of being paid by business interests behind the coup he is now providing his services to the current Honduran government that came to power as a result of the crisis.

In a recent press release, Davis' firm Lanny J. Davis & Associates announced that it has been hired to cook up a public relations campaign for the Honduras government, headed by coup-supporter President Porfirio “Pepe” Lobo. Assisting in this effort will be Josh Block, another Clinton administration official who is an ex-spokesman for the US Agency for International Development.

"I hope to help the Government of Honduras and President Porfirio Lobo strengthen U.S.-Honduran relations by emphasizing that Honduras remains a loyal ally of the United States and a stable constitutional democracy governed by the rule of law," Davis is quoted saying in the release.

During the crisis Davis, a close associate of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, was hired by the Business Council of Latin America to support the ousting of democratically-elected President Manuel Zelaya on Capitol Hill. Despite the fact that the coup was called “illegal” by the State Department, Davis served as the figurehead for the business interests backing the de facto government, all while it was shutting down media outlets, banning civil liberties, and committing human rights abuses.

When the State Department backed off from its anti-coup stance to support November 2009 presidential elections in Honduras, Davis disappeared from the media limelight and later started his own public relations firm. Lobo was declared the winner of the race, despite intimidation and fraud that was documented during the voting. After winning an election where more than half of the voters stayed home, Lobo gave amnesty to everyone involved in plotting the coup.

The reappearance of Davis and his new partnership with Lobo only provides more evidence that the Honduras government is merely an extension of the coup regime.